Freestyle Breast Pump

Hi, everyone! I have a couple of questions regarding the medela freestyle breast pump. Is it true that it less efficient than the pump in style advance? Is the suction less than the pump in style? I've also heard that the parts are harder to assemble and they cannot be assembled wet? This sounds really inconvenient. I have a pump in style advance that I've used since my first son 6 years ago. I really like it and it still gets the job done and very quickly. I am in a position, however, that I am going to need an extremely portable pump and this is the only pump on the market that fits this description. I am a nursing student and will be going back to school in a few days. I need to pump milk for my 3 month old, but will not have access to outlets in the school buildings and clinical sites? I know the pump in style advance has a battery pack, but I have used it and find the batteries do not last long at all. I will be pumping at least 3 times a day, if not more. I am just so afraid of investing my money into a freestyle if it is less efficient, but I don't know what else to do? Are there any mom's out there who actually like their freestyle and can get as much milk as quickly as a pump in style? Ugh....

Re: Freestyle Breast Pump

I have both a Freestyle and a PIS. I was gifted a Freestyle for my baby shower, and I ultimately purchased the PIS Advanced myself when I returned to work.

My experience is that the Freestyle works, yes, but I do pump less milk overall with it. 1-2 oz a day less was my experience, but for me that was milk I needed, so I primarily use my PIS. Sometimes I have to travel during my work day, and so I do use my Freestyle to pump in the car at those times. I also used the Freestyle to pump at a couple of weddings I have had to go to! But given a choice and an outlet, I will always choose to use my PIS.

I did not have a problem assembling the parts. I found that they dried really fast, and honestly a couple of times I put them together wet, and didn't notice a change in performance.

The real reason I even went out and purchased the PIS was that, for whatever reason, pumping with the Freestyle is just not as comfortable for me. I cannot get a setting on that pump that is "just right" for me. It's either painful, or not enough suction for me. So I wound up with really, really, really sore nipples my first week back to work, and ultimately couldn't fine tune my experience with the Freestyle to fix it. With occasional use, I have no pain, but 4x/daily, it was hurting me to keep the suction high enough to get the milk out of me.

That said, if I were in your shoes and needed to pump and had no outlets, I would use the Freestyle. It is extremely portable and easy to set up and use anywhere. I have pumped in some pretty unbelievable places with my Freestyle that I couldn't manage with the PIS. If I were in your circumstances, my personal response to the Freestyle would require that I pumped one time a day at home to get enough milk for my separations--but that may not be your experience! I am a fairly low-average pumper. You may have no issues at all perhaps, if you have an easier time pumping! If it allows you to pump vs not being able to at all, I would say it's probably worth going for it.

Re: Freestyle Breast Pump

I loved my freestyle and believe it's the same mechanism as the PIS, however, you are right the membranes absolutely cannot be wet or it won't work. So you must dry it well and also if drops of milk get it in you'll be disassembling it and drying it. I used mine to pump 10-12x day for my daughter and it kept my supply up well enough once it was established.

Re: Freestyle Breast Pump

I have the freestyle and got it because i need to be able to pump in my car. I have also pumped in some interesting places using it (Judges chambers at court when I had a trial run long and had to take a break, sitting outside at my sister in law's pool post surgery, and while getting my hair cut). i have nothing to compare it to other than the hospital rented i used initially. I use it on the highest setting and do one side at a time for 15 minutes each. I find that if I try to do both sides at once I do not get nearly as much even if i pump for 30 minutes. I use it 3x a day on one battery charge and could probably go 2 days without charging but I have noticed that it get a little weaker when it is getting low on battery.

Re: Freestyle Breast Pump

Hi,

I originally had the freestyle but found it couldn't pump much/any milk with it. I ended up getting a pISA and it seems to work better for me. I did find that if you get the piSA in the metro bag, you can take it out and it's decently portable. Not as small as the freestyle of course but I found it definitely more powerful.

I do want to mention that some have said they loved the freestyle!!!

You could always get rechargeable batteries for the piSA battery pack.

Re: Freestyle Breast Pump

Hi, I used the Symphony I believe in the hospital and have both the Pump in style advanced and the Freestyle. I have been pumping about 6 times a day for nearly nine months. I use both the PIS and the Freestyle. I bought the Freestyle because I was spending so much time pumping. I love the portability of the Freestyle because I can get up to get a drink, fold clothes, do dishes or whatever. I get the same amount with both, but I've never been a high producer. I do find that it is more comfortable to use both on occasion as the suction must be different enough that it just feels better to change. (I also BF my little one in the am and at night mostly.) Both pumps have been workhorses. I've used both in the car and used the PIS at the beach. (Didn't have the Freestyle when I went.)

Re: Freestyle Breast Pump

Thanks for all of your responses!!! I am so thankful for this forum! It is nice to get advice from mom's with real experience! I decided to go ahead and get the freestyle and give it a try. I had a $100 off coupon, so I thought...why not! Also, it is tax deductible anyway I just hope it performs well, guess I will find out later tonight, as I will be using it for the first time.